URGENT

There is an alarming piece of legislation in Congress, H.R. 9495, that would allow the government to designate any nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization,” and then require that organization to prove itself innocent to avoid revocation of its tax-exempt status. The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider H.R. 9495 this week, with a vote likely on Wednesday or Thursday. While intended to be anti-terrorism legislation, all nonprofits should be concerned about the dangerous precedent this bill could establish and the potential for abuse by the Executive Branch.

Third Act has co-sponsored an action alert. They are asking that WG members use this TA-specific link to do so.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-to-oppose-hr-6408s-4136?source=direct_link&referrer=group-thirdact

If you prefer to call your representative, below is a sample script to use.

Sample script for calling your representative:

I’m calling to urge you to oppose H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, scheduled for a vote later today. This bill poses a direct threat to nonprofits by granting the Treasury Secretary unchecked power to label organizations as “terrorist supporting” and strip their tax-exempt status. Even worse, this can happen without evidence, intentional links, or any requirement to disclose the reasons for the designation. The lack of due process and accountability leaves nonprofits defenseless against vague and potentially politically motivated accusations.

While the bill includes provisions for tax relief for American hostages—a noble cause—this should not come at the expense of jeopardizing nonprofit operations and democratic values. These provisions should be separated into their own bill that doesn’t include the unchecked harm to nonprofits.

Please oppose H.R. 9495 to protect nonprofits and the communities they serve. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Let’s go, Third Actors!